Help emptying trash in gmail

[photogman]

Has anybody figured out how to empty trash on the Nexus using gmail? I can't believe something so basic and often-used could be overlooked

 

[Jay3]

Has anybody figured out how to empty trash on the Nexus using gmail? I can't believe something so basic and often-used could be overlooked

Do it from the web version of Gmail, instead of the app.

It's not basic or often-used for legions of us. Gmail automatically takes care of that, and there's no need to empty it unless there's a concern that another user will look through your trash.

Plus it's much easier to do maintenance tasks from the web anyway, as I use Gmail all day from a computer. My handheld is portal through which I view my cloud content, not my main console for mail management.

 

[crankerchick]

Hmm in 2+ years of Android and 6+ years with gmail, I haven't once had the desire to empty my trash. Didn't even realize you couldn't do it on the mobile app. It looks like your only option is manually select msgs one by one and then mass delete. A select all option for the check boxes would be nice. I don't empty my trash (ever) but I could see me using a select all button for messages under particular labels that i want to delete (or tag).

 

[gvillager]

Do it from the web version of Gmail, instead of the app.

It's not basic or often-used for legions of us. Gmail automatically takes care of that, and there's no need to empty it unless there's a concern that another user will look through your trash.

^^This... Trash doesn't stay in there forever. It's automatically deleted after it's been in there for a month or two.

 

[sooper_droid12]

Has anybody figured out how to empty trash on the Nexus using gmail? I can't believe something so basic and often-used could be overlooked

I think people have a misunderstanding about GMail trash. GMail treats "trash" like a folder name. So, it's not like trash or the recycle bin on other OSes. It's basically a label and that's all it is.

 

[crankerchick]

Yes but a label with a rule to automatically purge anything over 30 days.

 

[Jay3]

I think people have a misunderstanding about GMail trash. GMail treats "trash" like a folder name. So, it's not like trash or the recycle bin on other OSes. It's basically a label and that's all it is.

It automatically gets rid of things permanently sooner than my Recycle Bin.

I'm going to have to say fail.

 

[BruceWhealton]

Hmm in 2+ years of Android and 6+ years with gmail, I haven't once had the desire to empty my trash. Didn't even realize you couldn't do it on the mobile app. It looks like your only option is manually select msgs one by one and then mass delete. A select all option for the check boxes would be nice. I don't empty my trash (ever) but I could see me using a select all button for messages under particular labels that i want to delete (or tag).

The problem I had was that my phone was telling me I cannot send txt messages because I don't have any more space. So, I tried going through text message threads and deleting them and it never seemed to open up enough space for me to send text messages. I then moved to my email and saw 4800+ messages on my phone. I started deleting them. They are still in that trash box. So, they are still taking up space. First I turned of sync, now I'm thinking if I delete the messages from gmail they will be gone from my phone?

I don't even have many apps at all on the phone and I'm out of space already. The phone has Android 2.2.2. So, I don't know features exist for moving applications to the SD card. Or even storing mail messages and text messages too. I did delete some photos and could now install a file manager.
So, does anyone know how to get those many messages off my phone to free up space. It's cool that Google gives us all this space but I don't want it on my phone, physically taking up space. If I keep the email on gmail and sync it with my phone is it going to try to put all the content on my phone?
How do I get it to start using the SD card for data storage and apps?
Thanks,
Bruce

 

[Petrah]

They are still in that trash box. So, they are still taking up space. First I turned of sync, now I'm thinking if I delete the messages from gmail they will be gone from my phone?

Those are stored on the Google Gmail servers, not on your phone. Log in to your Gmail account from a PC (or directly from your cell browser and not the Gmail app) and empty your trash there with one click.

 

[Demache]

So, does anyone know how to get those many messages off my phone to free up space. It's cool that Google gives us all this space but I don't want it on my phone, physically taking up space. If I keep the email on gmail and sync it with my phone is it going to try to put all the content on my phone?
How do I get it to start using the SD card for data storage and apps?
Thanks,
Bruce

The Gmail app doesn't take up as much space as you think. On my phone, its using maybe 10 MB total, cache and all. On most modern Android phones, that's virtually nothing. And I have several thousand emails in my Inbox because I keep forgetting to delete them with 1 GB of my 10 GB used.

It isn't actually storing emails on the phone like POP and IMAP email systems do, they are just temporarily cached for a short time so you don't have to keep redownloading your latest email every time you open the app. They are constantly being downloaded and purged from the phone as you receive new email and after that, only loaded "on-demand" when you scroll past the first few messages.

So in other words, just let the Gmail app do its thing. Don't worry about how much space its using, since its definitely nowhere near many apps like the web browser.

 

[Tim K]

The Gmail app doesn't take up as much space as you think. On my phone, its using maybe 10 MB total, cache and all. On most modern Android phones, that's virtually nothing. And I have several thousand emails in my Inbox because I keep forgetting to delete them with 1 GB of my 10 GB used.

It isn't actually storing emails on the phone like POP and IMAP email systems do, they are just temporarily cached for a short time so you don't have to keep redownloading your latest email every time you open the app. They are constantly being downloaded and purged from the phone as you receive new email and after that, only loaded "on-demand" when you scroll past the first few messages.

So in other words, just let the Gmail app do its thing. Don't worry about how much space its using, since its definitely nowhere near many apps like the web browser.

What he said. I'd actually look at your apps to see what's running that may be hogging memory

 

[DeeHTC]

Removing trash emails from your HTC. They will automatically be deleted once they are 30 days old. If you want to delete them sooner log into your gmail account I used my laptop select the trash folder and you have the option at the top of the page to delete all now.

 

[pool_shark]

I login to the website to delete mine periodically.

To those saying it doesn't *need* to be done, you're missing the point.
It's a simple feature that Google has chosen not to add.

If you don't delete yours that's fine, but you can't expect others to do everything the way you do them.
Android fans love to say "Android is all about options". Mass deleting emails from the Gmail app is an option some people would like to have.

 

[jfwick]

Press menu and Report Spam. You can delete Spam, hence you can delete Trash in Gmail app.

 

[tispectrum]

I use the K9 mail program instead of Gmail. It allows me to delete mail all at once instead of one at a time.

 

[zebraline]

you need to spam all the emails that are there in the trash first. When you do so half of your email (or all) will get deleted permanently, remaining emails are visible in the spam folder that can be deleted using your gmail app delete option and they will not go back in trash but are permanently deleted. let me kno!